Cargo Theft

Cargo theft refers to the illegal stealing or theft of goods by a third party during international cargo transportation, storage, or transshipment. This term is commonly used in insurance, claims, and risk management for sea, land, air, and multimodal transport. Usage scenarios include: abnormal remarks on bills of lading or waybills, insurance claims (such as all risks or theft, pilferage and non-delivery), carrier liability disputes, and liability allocation between cargo owners and freight forwarders. Notes: 1) Cargo theft is an extraneous risk, and additional insurance (such as theft, pilferage and non-delivery) is usually required for compensation; 2) It is necessary to promptly report to the carrier, insurance company, and police, and obtain relevant certificates (such as police reports and carrier accident certificates); 3) Unlike 'cargo loss', theft emphasizes illegal possession, while loss may be caused by natural disasters, accidents, etc.; 4) Unlike 'shortage', shortage may be due to natural loss or measurement error, while theft is clearly a theft act. Foreign trade practitioners should strengthen packaging, choose reputable carriers, purchase appropriate insurance, and clarify the risk transfer point in contracts (such as risk allocation under FOB, CIF).